MARGAO, OCT 31
Candidates contesting the Margao Municipal polls kept their fingers crossed as their fate was sealed in the ballot boxes on Sunday.
No sooner polling ended at 5 pm, candidates and their supporters got down to the serious business of calculations based on the poll percentage as counting of votes will be taken up on Monday morning at the Multipurpose hall, Borda.
The BJP has exuded confidence that the people of Margao would back party candidates to form a clean and corruption free Council.
BJP leader and MLA Damu Naik told newsmen after casting his vote at the Gogol Housing Board that the educated class has come out in large numbers for voting, adding that this would guarantee a victory for the party backed candidates. “We had appealed to the people for a clean and corrupt free civic body. The people have come out in large numbers and will guarantee victory for the BJP backed candidates”, he said.
On the other hand, the Congress leaders – though a divided lot – expressed confidence of forming the next Council with the help of candidates backed by the party leaders.
The Chief Minister is on record saying that he expected 8-9 seats for the party in 11 out of the 20 Municipal wards.
GPCC general secretary Vijay Sardessai, who has fielded four candidates, exuded confidence that his candidates would be through in the Civic polls. Besides, he said that some other candidates, who were backed by him in the polls, would help form the next Council.
Meanwhile, elections to some of the Margao Municipal wards was marked by tension since morning. The area near the polling booths at Moti Dongor, Calconda, Khareband, Chandrawado, Pajifond, Housing Board, besides Aquem witnessed an uneasy calm with candidates and supporters levellling allegations and counter allegations against each other.
Margao police said the poling passed off peacefully barring the stray incident at Calconda where supporters of rival groups classed this morning.
